Operating means for automobile accelerators



Mar. 3, 1925.

H. D. ADAMS OPERATING HEANS FOR AUTOMOBILE ACCELERTORS Filed March '7, 192:; z'sne ets sheei 1 1,528,176 H. DPADAMS OPERATING MEANS FOR AUTOMOBILE ACCELERATQRS Filed March '7, 1923 2 sheets shet 2 TUR Patented Mar. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' 1 HALE n. ADAMS, or GALESBURG,ILLI1\TOIS.

Applicationfiled. March 7, 1923. Serial No. 623,409.

. To all whom it may cancer 72 Be it known that I, HALE D. ADAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Galesburg, in the county of Knox and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Operating Means for Automobile Accelerators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means adapted to be actuated by foot pressure, for regulating the intake of fuel from a carburetor to the manifold of a mu-lti-cylinder gasoline engine; and it especially relates to a foot operated device adapted to be installed in connection with the manually operated intake regulator of the standard Ford automobile engine, or of engines similarly equipped. I 1

The accompanying drawings, show the parts and the manner of installation and,

operation of my device. In these drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective representation of my operating means, mounted in and under the floor of a. Ford automobile; Fig. 2, atop view of my intermediate rocking crank shaft and its connections; Fig. 3, an end View of the same parts; Fig. 4, a top view of the carburetor and throttle arm with its usualand 5 are the usual controlling pedals of the engine; 6 is a part of the transmission cover, provided with the usual removable plate, 7 8 is the fuel inlet pipe and 9 is the exhaust pipe of the engine; 10 is the gasoline supply pipe, connecting, through coupling 10 with carburetor 11, in the usual manner; 11 is the flange by means of which carburetor 11 is connected to inlet pipe 8, these parts being held together by bolts, 11", 11; 12 is the standard throttle arm, provided with its regular adjusting screw, 12, and securely mounted, as usual, on stem 13 of butterfly throttle valve 14. A hole, 15, through throttle arm 12, at its outer end,

receives the hooked end, 16, of rod 16, connecting arm -12'with the well known, manually operated intakeregulator, at the steering wheel. V

All of the partsso far described are included in the standard Ford construction and assembly. I

' My improved foot operated throttle control is constructed and attached as follows. A bridge plate, 17, is placed somewhat above the upper end of valve stem 13, and issupported rigidly at right angles to said stem by meansof posts 17 and 17*, held by bolts 11 and 11, already described. The plate 18, of substantially bell-crank form, is pivoted at 19 to bridge p1ate'17, the axis of pivot 19 being in alignment with the axis of valve stem 13. Plate 18 has a flange bent downward and formed into a finger, 18

adapted'to enter hole 15, in arm 12, as shown in Fig.5, 6 and 7, rod 16 with hooked end 16 being removed from sa'idhole 15. A part of the fiangeofplate 18, adjacent to finger 18 is provided with a slotted hole, 18, adapted toreceive rod 16 and permit same to "perform itsusual function, as later explained. End-20 of connecting rod 20 is pivotally attached, at 18, to plate 18, and the other end of rod 20 is similarly connected'with arm 21*, of shaft 21, which is mounted for oscillatory movement-in bearings, 22 and 22 of bearing plate 22. Beyondbearing 22 shaft 21 has an arm, 21, preferably flattened as shown. Arms 21 and 21", of shaft 21, are so placed that, when a-rm 2l is held by connecting rod 20, arm

21 extends in a backward, sloping direction, 1

nearly parallel with floor boards 1, 2. Bear ing plate 22 is provided with a flange, 22,

adapted to be rigidly attached to transmission cover 6, by means of screws 7 and 7 two of the screws that holdplate 7 in place. Spring 23 extends from a connection at end 23 with plate 18, and is attached, at 23*, to plate 22,-having suflicient tension to close throttle valve 14 and keep it closed, when not held open by one of the throttle operating means, as later explained. Pedal rod 24, slidable in holder 25, is mounted in floor 2, in such position that the lower end, 24 of said rod, normally rests upon arm 21 and head 24 is held somewhat above holder 25, the parts being so proportioned and placed that said head, 24, stands conveniently near pedals 3, 4 and .5.

Pressure pplied t he .24 c s 11 d to slide'downward in holder 25, ther'ebyap plying pressure to arm 21, causin shaft 21 to turn in its bearings, 22 22 and making arm 21 saving tow'arctcarburetor'11. Connecting rod ZO moVingF with arm 21*, causes plate 18 toturn on pivot 19,'sprin'g 23 yielding to the strain brought upon it and being stretched thereby. This movement of plate 18 acts "upon arm 12, through finger 18 in hole 15, openi ng valv'e' 14, moreor less, according tothe amount of motion communicated to pedal rod 24:, at the will of the operator; Spring 23' closes valve 1e. when-the pressure upoi'i head 2 9 is withdrawn, unless prevented by rod--16 beingor having'been'p'lacedin val-ye" opening position by use of the manually operated valve control.

Operating; plate 18 and arm 12,-the toot actuated meansidescribedis not interfered with-by r'od,16 of the manually operated valve contro when-the parts of said manually' operated Conn-o1; are allowed to remain in valve closing position, as they should be"when it is desired to use the foot control. In-that position, rod 16, sliding back andf'orth in hole 18 permits valve opening and valve cos'ing novem'entof plate 18 as just described. The hooked end, 16, of rod 16 prevents the withdrawal of the rod from hole 18 and, in case of operation of tlie'inanually actuated parts, causes plate 18 to'tnrn on pivot 19 in the same manner as Whenactuated, by the foo'toperated means described. During any move- 1116111102? plate 18, evenwhen caused by connecting 16, a corresponding movement of all the 'movablelparts' ofthe" foot" contrcl systemtakes.placeprod 2O actingupon 21 shaft 21 and arm21 andpedal' rod 2 1 sliding down or being pushed up, as permitted or required-by any motion of arm 21h.

What; I claim is 2- 1. In a device of the character describech the combination with a fuel inlet vawe controlling arm of a member adapted to operate said arm, said operating member being pivoted"independently of said arm, but havingathe axis of its pivot in alignment with the "axis'of 'sa'i' valve controlling arm.

2. The structure specifiedin claim 1 and, in combination therewith, spring means adapted to return said arm operating member to its normal position. forbringing said arm to 'its valve closing: position; a clownturned flangeon said arm operating mem her, said flange having ahole-adaptedto receive the connecting rod of the ordinary m-ai'in'ally operated val ve control and to al ow said rod to slide back and? forth in. said hole during. operative movement of said arm operating member.

3. A fuel intake regulating device comprising, in combination with the customary throttle valve, equipped for control by mannal means, a member 1)1V0 6Cl. independently ot'said valve, in coaxial alignment therewith, being; adapted to actuatesaid valve by engaging the customary arm on same; also comprising foot operated means adapted to swing: said pivoted member independently of said manual means of control and'turther comprisingv spring means-achipted to hold saidpivoted member in valve cosine; position but yielding; to pressure applied either manually or by; foot through the means specified; saidfoot operating means comprising a depressible pedal rod with suitable head. a'i'oclrsha-ft provided, at one end, with an arm extending under and in contact withsaidlpedalrod, and having, at its other end, adownwa-rdly extending arm and a rod connecting the lower. endofsaid second arm-with said spring-held, pivoted member. y

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

HALE D. ADAM-S. 

